MOVING DAY, launch interview & GIVEAWAY!

TOOT TOOT! That’s me tooting my own horn. Because a pretty fabulous new picture book has just been released, and I was fortunate to be part of it.

MOVING DAY, is written by the talented author, Teri Roche Drobnick, and is her picture book debut. I thought I would ask her some questions and she can ask me some, too. Like a written, “in conversation with”.

When I began the writing process, I tried to think about what would make this story more kid-friendly to appeal to the target age of picture book readers. That’s when I thought of telling the story from the house’s perspective. I tried to think about how frightening it would have been to be taken from the spot where the house resided for over 100 years and tugged down the street as everyone watched. The real-life story aided in the writing, as workers had to trim trees, remove street signs, and stop traffic to make way for the house as it was slowly pulled down hills and around corners. All this was incorporated into the story. Telling the story from the house’s perspective I was able to incorporate the fears and anxieties that can accompany moving.

I absolutely loved this character. You infused the house with personality and took the reader along on her worried journey. I immediately started to plan ways to bring her to life and give readers an emotional attachment to her. I was, and still am, very ‘moved’ by the message in the book. Moving can be difficult for anyone, especially a large Victorian house! It’s an important topic that many kids and families can relate to.

Artwork Copyright Jennifer Black Reinhardt 2025

The length of the publication process was unexpected for me. Since this is my debut book, I had no idea how long this could take. I signed the contract in 2021 and the book is not coming out until March 11, 2025. It has been an agonizing wait, but the finished product is well worth it.

Ha! Well… I knew that I didn’t want to draw a lot of trucks and make it a book about the technical side of moving a house. My biggest challenge was to anthropomorphize her in a way that she still felt like a realistic house, but had enough human qualities that a child could relate to her. I also wanted to avoid making her too cartoony and cliché. I had to stand my ground a bit for her legs, vine arms, and carpet bags. I’m happy that those ‘appendages’ have been well received. Because you, Teri, cleverly have the house narrating, I felt that she needed to visually have some unexpected human attributes to support that. I even built a model of the house to help me with perspective when I drew her.

Moving can be difficult. My daughter did not want to move at the age of five. We only moved around six blocks (similar to the house in the story), but she was attached to the spot where we lived. My father, in his early eighties, was resistant to moving from our family home where he had raised us kids and resided for fifty years. So, moving can be stressful for both children and adults. However, any kind of change can also be positive. Moving can strengthen family bonds and teach children how to cope with new situations, how to be flexible, and how to make new friends. All this can lead to self-confidence.

Artwork Copyright Jennifer Black Reinhardt 2025

Thanks to all of you for coming to our launch, and we hope you love MOVING DAY as much as we do!

ALL Artwork Copyright Jennifer Black Reinhardt 2025

To learn more about Teri Roche Drobnick, please visit her website at https://www.teridrobnick.com where you can find lots of interesting links about house moving as well as related activities!

More information about me can be found on my website and I also have some fun MOVING DAY coloring and activity pages to download and print https://www.jbreinhardt.com.

Thank you!

Jennifer Black Reinhardt

Jennifer is the illustrator and author of several acclaimed picture books. Most recently is Always by My Side, 'A Stuffie Story', which she wrote and illustrated. She also is both the author and illustrator of Playing Possum, and Blue Ethel. Jennifer illustrated Gondra’s Treasure, written by Newbery award winner Linda Sue Park. As well as, Sometimes You Fly, by Newbery medalist, Katherine Applegate. She illustrated Yaks Yak, Animal Word Pairs by Linda Sue Park, The Inventor's Secret, What Thomas Edison Told Henry Ford, by Suzanne Slade, Rabbi Benjamin's Buttons, by Alice B. McGinty, and The Adventures of a South Pole Pig, by Chris Kurtz.

13 Comments:

  1. l loved this “conversation” and cannot wait to check out the book! Thanks for an inspiring and insightful post!

  2. Becky Scharnhorst

    This looks delightful! And the model of house is impressive! Thanks so much for sharing this story and your conversation with us. Congratulations to you both!

  3. You’ve captured my interest! I enjoyed reading about your inspiration and behind the scenes peek at the illustration process. Looking forward to reading this with my kiddos! Lovely conversation – congratulations!

  4. I can’t wait to read this. I am in the process of moving for the first time in 47 years, and it has been quite unsettling. It’s beyond belief the amount of stuff one can accumulate in nearly 5 decades!

  5. I LOVE the model of the house…with the legs! I look forward to reading this unique take on a universal experience.

  6. Oh, my goodness! What an gorgeous powerful picture book! I cannot wait to read it! Moving is hard for everyone, even people who are excited about the changes! Congratulations!!

  7. This book tale is brilliant. I love that the house is wearing striped stockings. I wonder: is that a wink at the witch who is flattened by a house in the Wizard of Oz?

  8. danielle hammelef

    Reading a book like this that has a house as the point of view character sounds amazing! I loved the model Jennifer built too. We’ve lived in our house for a long time and I know when it comes time to move, it will be stressful to leave with all the memories made here. This book will help kids and parents start conversations about big changes. Congratulations to both author and illustrator!

  9. I love the way the idea for the book developed. And that model of the house? Amazing!!! Nearly every kid can relate to Moving Day.

  10. This is a wonderful book and a fascinating conversation between author and illustrator. Thank you for this post!
    Congratulations!

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